Series: The Judged
Message: Questions
Preacher: Japhet De Oliveira
Reflection: Mark Witas
Live Wonder: Jessyka Albert
Live Adventure: Jessyka Albert
Live Purpose: Kyle Smith
Editor: Becky De Oliveira
Refresh: Begin with prayer. Ask for the Holy Spirit to open your heart to new understanding and for God’s character to be revealed.
Read: Romans 3:1-8 in the New American Standard Bible (NASB). Note 1–3 insights or questions.
Reflect: A word about the wrath of God: Wrath isn’t something that is fair or unfair. Wrath is just what it is. Ellen White makes the following observations about how wrath works:
“Satan is the destroyer. God cannot bless those who refuse to be faithful stewards. All He can do is to permit Satan to accomplish his destroying work.” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 388)
“God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; but He leaves the rejectors of His mercy to themselves, to reap that which they have sown.” (The Great Controversy, p. 36)
In Romans 1, Paul repeatedly claims that God is forced to “give them over” to their sin.
In other words, wrath isn’t something that God inflicts on sinners—rather, it’s what sinners inflict on themselves. Sin kills. The devil kills. And this can only happen when God is forced by the free will of wicked people to withdraw His mercies and let the devil do his work.
So, when it comes to who’s in and who’s out of heaven, think of it this way: If you have Christ in your heart and you are walking with Him, it’s virtually impossible for you to be an evil person. In fact, it’s not virtually impossible, it’s entirely impossible. If you are following Jesus and in a relationship with Him, you cannot be a wicked, lawless person. There is no wrath for you. Why is this? Because a person who follows Christ wants more than anything to be like Jesus and ultimately to be with Him. A person who walks with Jesus is a sinner who is becoming more loving, more gentle, more patient, more kind, more faithful, and more self-controlled with every passing day.
On the other hand, if you are a person who rejects the tenets of Christ, if you choose the way of selfishness, greed, prejudice, hatred, and violence, you are going to experience wrath (the ultimate end of these behaviors), unless you repent of these things, have a change of heart, and go the way of Christ. Why is this? Because a person who is anti-Christ would loathe being around Him. Heaven would repulse a person like this. A person who is not changed by the heart of Christ is a sinner who, over time, becomes less loving, less gentle, less patient, less kind, less faithful, and less self-controlled. These things all produce wrath.
Why do you think human beings tend to blame God for the bad things they bring upon themselves? Have you ever had a friend that you wanted to rescue from the wrath their behavior was bringing on?
Recalibrate: How is sin its own punishment?
Respond: Thank God for rescuing you from the results of a rebellious life.
Research: Read The Great Controversy, Chapter 1, p. 36.
Remember: “God keeps His word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth” (Romans 3:3, MSG).
Mark Witas is the lead pastor at Pacific Union College Church in Angwin, CA. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Mark has served as a youth pastor, Bible teacher, college and academy chaplain, and lead pastor in the United States and Canada for the last 33 years. He has also authored four books: Born Chosen, Live Out Loud, Portals, and Just Jesus.
“God is true, even when every person is false.” Does that give you peace or anxiety when it comes to raising your child? No matter how many parenting books you read, there is always room to second guess yourself and wonder if you are doing the right things as you raise your child. Pray with your child a prayer of thanks that God is always true even when we are not.
Look up Romans 3:4 in the International Children’s Bible (ICB) version with your parents. It says “God will continue to be true even when every person is false.” Have you ever played Simon Says? It’s such a fun game! Sometimes it can be really easy to mess up when the leader doesn’t say “Simon Says.” Can you imagine playing a game of Simon Says with God and even if everyone else jumped when they weren’t supposed to, God didn’t?
What do you see when you look at the Jesus of the Bible and your own life? I see a man who is exceedingly better than I am. He is much more kind, loving, forgiving, and generous. Does Jesus need our sin to contrast with His goodness in order to look virtuous? I don’t think so at all. He is good all on His own! What do you think Paul is trying to get us to see in Romans 3:5? How has the goodness of Jesus affected you?